


Proper People

by Yesthatsmynaturalcolour



Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-12-14
Packaged: 2018-04-24 06:17:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4908532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yesthatsmynaturalcolour/pseuds/Yesthatsmynaturalcolour
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their first meeting was a little unusual.<br/>By that Joe walked out of his dorm to see a man stuck in the vending machine in the hall, the rest was just kind of history.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Joe should be asleep right now because he’s got a class in less than four hours and work after that, but he also needs to finish all these assignments because they are also due tomorrow. He also needs to just take a break, maybe get a snack and some caffeine from the vending machine and come back and look at all this again. He gets up and steps over Pete who passed out studying for his history exam and heads out of the dorm, the halls empty which is to be expected except the person at the vending machine and Joe sighs. Well he can use the drink one first and get caffeine and then maybe the guy will be done. 

The guy looks up startled and Joe recognizes him, he lives on the floor at the other end of the hall with Patrick, he’s also terrifying looking is all Joe will ever think, buff with tattoos and more facial hair than Joe would ever want to grow. He looks like the type of guy who’d fist fight just out of boredom or something. It also takes Joe a minute or so to realize the guys sticking his hand in the vending machine but he’s not pulling it out he’s just sitting there looking at Joe. He just stares for a long while and Joe shifts awkwardly hoping he hasn’t offended him on some weird level. “I’m really sorry.” He finally says, and Joe blinks because well okay that’s a voice alright. “I’m….I’m stuck?” He gestures helplessly, pulling his arm and wincing to show Joe. 

And Joe can’t help it but he laughs. “You actually got stuck in a vending machine?” The man on the ground nods resting his head against the glass. “Who does that? That’s some like saturday night shitty television kind of stuff.” Oh man this is great, he almost wants to ask if he can take a picture so he can show Pete when he wakes up, he’d frame it. The time in college I walked to get a drink and some idiot actually was stuck in a machine. 

“I’ve been here for three hours.” And woah Joe’s paying attention now because he thought the guy was like him just staying up late and went to get something but three hours? And Joe was the only one to walk by? “I got really anxious when people walked by….I didn’t. I didn’t ask for help and then everyone went to bed and now I can’t get out. And it’s really hurting and I don’t quite know what i’m stuck on and I’d call for help but I can’t reach my phone.” He’s rambling, and he sounds panicked and almost like he’s about to cry and fuck Joe’s a shitty person for laughing at this poor guy. 

“Alright. I’ll just, lemme take a look.” Joe’s not sure what the fuck he can do but any day they can avoid calling the fire department or something to set him free is a good day. The poor guy seems embarrassed enough he doesn’t need the entire floor out taking pictures and laughing. Joe crouches down and he’s really close but he figures the other won’t care since he’s being hopefully saved. Reaching in he’s careful not to get stuck as well and hums. “So what was worth being trapped for three hours.”

The guy snorts a little. “I….I was studying for my exam and there’s no more food in our room so I got a dollar from my roommate and the chips were the only thing vegan this place has to offer this late. It’s stupid and had I known I was going to be stuck at all, I would of not done anything.” Joe figures alright, sounds like something he’d do, hell he would do it even if they had tons of food just on the basis that he’d feel the machine robbed him in some way. His fingers brush against Andy’s and he guesses he found the end so time to work his way back and see what the others caught on.

“So...I’m Joe.” He offers trying to make idle conversation at least, ease the awkward feeling.

“Andy.” He knew that for some reason now that the other said it, maybe Patrick mentioned him in passing. “Your Pete’s roommate right?” Joe hums in agreement. 

“Yeah….” His fingers catch something and he grins, tugging at it and theres a noise, like metal hitting metal and Andy’s free, pulling his arm back and falling on his ass grinning at Joe. His arms bleeding a little, from whatever it was hitting it or being stuck, most of it’s dried and the whole arms filthy but damn Joe freed him. The taller stands offering a hand to Andy and laughing. “Congratulations you were freed and did not need the fire department.” Andy takes the hand and lets Joe pull him up, looking over his arm.

“Thanks...um. A lot. Really I owe you one. A lot of ones.” Joe shrugs and Andy waves heading down the hall to his room, he turns and looks at the machine, laughing when he notices something, reaching in and picking up the bag of chips that had fallen down. He’s going to tape them to Andy’s dorm room door tomorrow that’s for sure.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this isnt your dorm room and oh no dont cry oh god.

Andy looks up from the comic he’s reading because the door to his dorm room is opening and he was suppose to have the room to himself, Patrick was staying over at a friends room for studying and jamming and whatever else and told him not to stay up. He hoped nothing went wrong when someone definitely not Patrick stumbled in, it took him a second to realize he still at least knew who it was.

“Joe?” He hadn’t seen much of the other guy since the whole incident in the hall, though Andy was purposely avoiding him here and there when they did end up crossing paths...Joe was a pretty cool guy, he was incredibly nice and hadn’t brought up the incident that brought them to meeting. Mostly talking music and star wars, some comic conversations here and there before their friend groups separated them. 

The guy just stumbled before flopping into Patrick’s bed not saying a word at all, and Andy just stared because what the fuck? Before he finally climbed up poking the other man. “Dude, is...I mean are you okay?” Joe makes a noise rolling onto his back. 

“Go away Pete, went….drinking.” He nods after the pause like he had to think about what he was doing, and Andy groans. He’s straight edge for a reason and Joe’s cool and all but he’s not drunk crashing in Andy’s dorm tonight, he can stumble his ass back to his own room and Pete can watch his roommate. 

“Joe, I’m Andy. Andy. This is my room, and Patrick’s you need to go back to your own.” He shoves at the other and fuck what is Joe made of lead he’s like a solid dead weight and Andy can dead lift a ton. Is there a rule drunk people have to weight so much more suddenly or something. “Get out of my fucking room Trohman please, I’m not down to babysit a drunk and make sure you don’t choke or something....” 

Joe just breathes out looking at him and wait shit is he crying? “Sophie broke up with me.” He whispered. “Two years the only person I’ve dated at this place….and she broke up with me for some dude on the football team.” Oh no he’s really crying Andy winces, stopping his actions of trying to get Joe out of the bed and sitting down slowly, because drunk or not he sounds horrible. Andy doesn’t quite have the heart to shove him out of the bed yet. 

“I loved her….I mean. I really think I did, which is stupid I’m in my twenties...what do I know about love? Zero I guess because she broke up with me….” Andy pats his shoulder giving him a sympathetic look.

“You know a lot….otherwise you wouldn’t be this upset….” He offers, unsure how much of his advice is going to get through to a drunk Joe since he wasn’t even in his own bedroom. “She’s missing out on a lot….a lot.” He barely knows the guy but Joe’s great in the passing moments besides his vending machine rescue, he doubts that football guy is better in anyway. She’s the one who's lost out. 

“Thanks man.” Joe mumbles, shifting and sniffling and Andy hands him a tissue and grabs his blanket to toss over the other. Guess he should set himself up for drunk watch tonight and make sure Joe doesn’t die in his sleep for some reason.


	3. Chapter 3

Falling asleep drunk in someone's dorm room tends to either make or break a friendship, luckily for Joe it seems to have made it. Andy saying he owed Joe one anyway and laughing it off, and it kind of got rid of this weird wall they had up between them from their initial meeting. 

Their roommates were best friends, it wasn’t to much of a step to start hanging out themselves. Joe learned Andy was a History and Anthro double major which fuck Joe was struggling with his one major he couldn’t fathom how Andy was balancing two. He also worked out everyday at the campus gym, they talked more about their similar interests in music, and comics, and of course star wars. He finds out Andy has a pretty big video game obsession and even show Joe’s some of them. They stay up late some nights when Pete and Patrick are hanging out, studying together. Andy sometimes lets him crash in their room when Pete’s out and Joe’s to drunk to be alone. He sometimes even tags along with Joe to parties just to make sure he makes it back to the dorms okay, even if he just sits in the corner with a soda the whole night and if that’s not the best damn thing anyone's ever done for Joe he doesn’t know what is. 

Hanging out here and there becomes all the time for them, spending the night in one another's dorm rooms more and more, going to the campus parties together because the more Andy comes to make sure Joe makes it back okay, the less Joe drinks and hangs in the corner laughing with Andy. He even smokes less because he doesn’t like the face Andy makes when they hang out together after Joe smokes, mainly from the smell Andy’s been sure to remind Joe he doesn’t judge him. Joe spends less and less time with the crowd he was hanging out with before and fuck his grades even start to improve because of it. Pete jokes hanging out with Andy on a daily basis is doing him wonders and he can’t argue. 

So it’s a bit of a surprise, considering how much time they’ve spent together, and everything that Joe’s never quite noticed this other guy before. One day though, he just...starts to. He’s tall, way taller than Joe and definitely way taller than Andy. Sometime’s he’ll see Andy walking across campus and he’ll go to say hi, and the guy will run up throwing his arm around Andy and pulling him close against his chest. Or he’ll go to ask Andy something in his dorm and Andy’s gone and there’s some guy in his bed fast asleep. It sits weird in his stomach for some reason and he can’t place why. A twisted feeling when Andy leaves when the guy shows up waving goodbye to Joe and smiling at the other. He’s not even sure why, or when it started, it doesn’t happen when he sees Andy and Pete or Patrick. 

“Who's that guy?” Joe finally asks Pete one day, the two of them sharing a lunch and studying for biology together. Tall and dark is talking to a bunch of other guys at a table laughing with them and stealing food. Pete hums looking over and laughing.

“Matt Mixon, he’s Hurley’s…..I don’t know. Patrick thinks they're dating and keeping it on the DL, I think they're dating and just dating because keeping it on the DL would mean you don’t wrestle around in the grass together and hold hands.” Pete shoves some fries in his mouth raising his eyebrow. “You hang with Hurley more than either of us now you didn’t know who he was?” He mumbles swallowing and Joe pulls a face first because gross and second he didn’t need to be reminded.

“No….I just see the two all the time Andy’s never really formally introduced us.” He defends, because it’s the truth. Andy really never formally introduced the two of them, despite how many times he’s run into the two of them, or Matt apparently is his name has walked up to get Andy for one reason or another. Joe thinks maybe that’s why he’s unsure of this guy, that has to be it, why this whole thing sits unwell with him and he gets this nasty feeling in his throat and stomach when Andy leaves with him. 

Which is a lie, because Andy introduces them a week later, Matt waves and shakes his hand and the two go off to a class or to work out, Andy started talking about Matt more, how they grew up together in a way. Use to play in a band together and ended up going to the same school. He still gets this feeling, and he’s glad Andy hasn’t picked up on it at all, Still talks about Matt and hangs out with Joe and laughs. Eats his oatmeal and nothing's changed even though for some reason Joe hates this guy with every piece of himself and doesn’t know why. 

He’s laying in bed in their dorm, Pete’s playing on his guitar and he realizes why. He finally, fucking finally puts it together and his eyes go wide staring at the ceiling. How the fuck did he fall for the guy whose arm got stuck in the vending machine? “Fuck.” He whispers covering his eyes.

“That realization took awhile.” Pete mumbled from his bed, because he fucking knows, of course he does, and Joe groans.


	4. In sickness and Health

Spring break rolls around pretty quick on Joe, and normally spring break means either going home, or going with Pete somewhere pretty cool and stereotypical like mexico. He’s not doing either this year, student loans keeping him from going somewhere to party, and his parents are out of the country visiting family since one of them had fallen ill. There’s nothing back home besides them so he’s on campus. It’s only a week, so he plans on smoking, drinking, and watching shitty old movies he’d liked as a kid and playing his music as loud as he can since most of the hall if not all of it was going to be gone for the week. Also finally hooking his electric guitar up to an amp for the first time in forever because once again, empty hall.

The hall clears, and Joe says goodbye to Pete, and his friends saying he’ll be fine and to have fun, and Joe takes over the dorm room for the rest of the day. He’s not the only person on campus, so they still serve some food in the mess hall which is good for him. He turns his music up loud and eats breakfast during lunch and he’s pretty alright with this spring break. Enjoys the break of not having the stress of exams, while being able to just kind of hang around in the dorms. Which is why he’s surprised when Andy texts him, flipping open his phone and looking he frowns.

‘Can you turn it down please. I’m so I’m sorry I’m just trying to sleep.’ Is all it says, and he’s confused thinking maybe Andy didn’t mean to text him. It’s only around 9pm, so maybe Andy’s visiting someone, but then he thinks and he saw Matt leaving the other day and he was alone. He’s pretty sure they would of gone together, or were suppose to go together back home being from the same town but he was all by himself. He didn’t think anything of it at the time, so he texts Andy back asking if he’d stayed back from going home. Logically, and turns his music down a bit just in case. The text takes a while but it comes through. It just says yeah, got sick and nothing else so Joe figures that’s it for now. Offers to help if he’s needed and goes back to reading his book. He guesses he got sick and didn’t feel up for the long drive home and stayed back and if he needed Joe he knew he was here. He doesn’t want to crowd the other break is about either partying or having some time to yourself and if Andy’s sick he probably just wants to rest. 

His friendship with the other has...changed. In the last few weeks. He wants to distance himself for the sake of frendship and isn’t that what you're suppose to do when you have a crush on someone? But he also doesn’t want to cut this friendship, Andy likes spending time with him as much as Joe does. Part of him finding it a bit odd Andy hangs with him probably the most out of anyone even his own boyfriend, but hey. He also had no idea what went on behind closed doors. He swung by the mess in the morning, grabbing a water bottle and some fruit, figuring he’d offer them to Andy because he’s pretty sure the other hasn’t grabbed any food. Shoving them into his bag and sitting down to eat his own breakfast. Waving to the guy who lived in the dorms across campus that seemed to always be in the hall the same time as Joe. He tugged his phone free from his pocket scrolling through his messages, Pete texting him he was having a lot of fun and Joe should of come, and one from Andy. Asking for a ride to the hospital if it wasn’t to much trouble. Like he wasn’t asking for a ride to the fucking hospital. Joe abandons his food running back to the dorms and keying himself in. Andy’s door is unlocked thank all. The room smells like medicine, and feels overly warm. Andy’s wrapped up in his bed his phone in his hand, but he doesn’t react to Joe coming in at all. Doesn’t so much as move at the door moving.

“Hey dude.” He says slowly, crouching down at the lump of something under the blankets, and Andy moves back, his glasses are off and his hair is a fucking mess, and he just looks like a mess in general. Joe doesn’t need any sort of medical knowledge to get the impression Andy’s not completely all there. 

“I..texted you?” He seems unsure, as if he was planning on it or something and Joe nods tugging the blankets off the lump of Andy. 

“You said you needed a ride, come on big guy let’s go. Med center on campus is closed so there’s no way around this.” The other blinked at him and Joe dragged him to sit up against the dorm wall, digging around for some shoes to slip on. Andy seemed very compliant with all this, helping Joe somewhat with finding his glasses, and wallet. “Glad you called me.” He commented, looking up at Andy while he tied his shoes. He could feel the others skin, feel the warmth, could hear him coughing and the way it just sounded horribly not right. 

Andy hummed. “Can’t...something's wrong...medicine seems really nice right now..” He gestured,seeming to kind of place words together Joe could agree, and figured maybe it wasn’t best to comment on the lack of water anywhere around him. Andy must be feeling a hundred percent like shit. He shoved the others stuff into his pockets and focused on getting Andy to his car. He was about to give in to carrying Andy by the end of the second flight of stairs, the other listing off to the side and stumbling. Joe supporting most of his weight, and Andy was trying he really was trying but damn. He wasn’t that heavy it wouldn’t be hard, he breathed moving down the steps getting to the bottom, hard part over and parking lot to conquer. 

He wasn’t even sure the other was awake when they got to the car, dumping him in the passenger seat and buckling him up. Not trusting him to really nail it all on his own he climbed in driving out of the lot and to the hospital. He’s taken Pete more than once and been himself more than once so at least he didn’t have to fumble around with how to get there. There was a lot of waiting, and more waiting, Andy laying on his shoulder giving mumbled replies to Joe’s question about paperwork. Not enough but maybe just enough to get by until he was feeling better and could give them more answers. The nurse took him off and away and Joe was left sitting, looking at these papers, and shitty magazines in the lobby. 

Should he of gone back there with Andy? Was that to much? Couples usually did stuff like that and married people and...but maybe Andy needed company? Maybe he didn’t want to be alone? But he would of asked Joe right or maybe he wasn’t feeling like asking and man he has no idea what to do with himself. He wishes he went back with the other, wanting to keep him company while nurses poked at him. Talk to him about the latest game out and the packers, Joe liked the bears but you don’t get someone riled up in argument when their sick. Plus hearing Andy talk the packers was, was really too much sometimes Joe swears he could fall in love with the team just because of Andy. He breathed slowly looking at the magazine and picking it up to read.

A nurse did come out after a while, looking around and calling for him, he scrambled up quickly, nearly dropping his phone. “He asked us to come and get you, were going to keep him overnight to make sure he gets proper fluids but can release him tomorrow as long as someone’s here to pick him up?” She looked at him and he nodded.   
“Yeah yeah of course.” He breathed rubbing his hands together, she smiled gesturing for him to follow. The room wasn’t to far off, the curtain pulled shut and she pushed it back. He looked better, but it was still unsettling to see all the cords and iv’s hooked up to the other. “I..is he okay?” She nodded slipping the clipboard into the bed.   
“Just very dehydrated and his fever was really high, we weren’t comfortable releasing him until it lowered and we got some fluids in him. He’ll be okay.” He nodded, and they let him hang around for a few more hours, Andy fast asleep but Joe felt more comfortable reading magazines there instead of in the waiting room. Eventually he got kicked out, given a time tomorrow to show up to collect Andy and take him home, and he headed out. 

He wondered if he should call Pete, or even tell Pete. But what could the other do, drop everything and come back? Why would he? Then he wondered if Andy wanted him to call Matt, but he figured the other could deal with all that. Matt still gave him weird feelings in his stomach. He went to bed early, seeing as he had to be back out early to pick up Andy. The other was sitting up this time in his bed, wearing the hoodie and pants Joe dressed him in and blinking tiredly. He smiled at Joe when he walked in though.   
“I’m glad you texted me instead of wasting away.” He teased Andy grumbled shifting his legs a little.

“Thank you.” He coughed into his sleeve. “They said I probably would've cooked my brain if I kept going like that...I owe you.” Joe waved him off, helping him off the bed and helping him sign himself out. Dropping off the prescription for the meds the doctor gave him and figuring he’d go back out and get them with some real food later today once he got Andy back to the dorms. Rhett from the first floor rooms helped him out a bit on getting Andy upstairs and to his room, and he also owed that guy, buy him food sometime and leave it outside his dorm because it was a lot easier this time with help. 

He dropped Andy onto his bed, the other twisting and looking confused and Joe shushed him. “I can sleep in Pete’s bed, done it before, I’ll feel better this way if your fever spikes or something.” He shrugged, Andy frowned at him.

“You’ve got...three days of break left you shouldn’t waste it taking care of me.” Joe shrugged, helping unlace the others shoes. “Joe…” Tugging the shoes off he placed them next to his bed.

“Dude...it’s fine. I was just lazing around and you being sick won’t stop that.” Andy looked like he wanted to argue but Joe pulled his comforter over the other and moved over to flop into Pete’s bed. He didn’t think it weird the other next texted anyone, just slept a lot, ate when Joe brought him food and reminded him to take his meds and talked music when he was feeling better. Patrick showed up on the last day, looking at the two of them and collecting his roommate saying Pete would be up soon. Andy thanked Joe and followed Patrick out, stumbling slightly and Patrick caught his arm, laughing and he was gone. 

Joe breathed, gathering up his and Pete’s sheets while waiting for the other, opening the windows to their room up to let the cool fall air in and get the smell of two day old chinese food out. He felt oddly alone, even when Pete showed up making fun of him for taking care of Andy. 

The weirdest part of it all was, he caught Matt and him arguing while walking through the dorms, and he’d never told the other. It felt strange, to keep that from your boyfriend. There was a hoodie, and some money and his favorite kind of candy sitting on his bed when he’d made it back to his room that day, a thank you note in familiar writing on top.   
Well, there were worse ways to spend his break.


	5. Chapter 5

“Have you seen Andy?” Joe looks up from his textbook, frowning a little. They kind of just left dorm rooms open in the hall, at least if you welcomed an intrusion every once and awhile or interruption. Pete was bothering the guys across the hall trying to borrow some notes or something so Joe figured he’d get him to close the door so he can study in peace. Patrick’s standing there though, shifting between feet and looking around. 

“Um...no not since we had breakfast this morning. What’s going on?” Because he doesn’t like worry, and it’s saturday so it’s not like Andy’s in classes, or his volunteer work because that’s Sundays and Mondays. 

“We...we got in a fight I guess and he stormed off but his card still says he’s in the building. It’s just been a few hours and I’m getting worried.” He runs his fingers through his hair nervously. “What if he’s locked out? Or what if he’s lost or hurt and I...I don’t know.” Joe’s climbing up shutting his book, if Andy got locked out that means he’d be at the front. 

“Okay so...is Mixon in this building?” Patrick shakes his head.

“I texted him already he said he hasn’t seen Andy since Thursday.” Weird that Joe sees Andy more than his own boyfriend, but not the point right now. “And I checked the gates and the front, and the building security didn’t see him leave so I was hoping he’d be with you but I’m getting really worried.” He repeated and Joe put his hands on Patrick’s shoulders trying to calm him down. 

“I’ll start from the top floors, you from the bottom, we’ll find him if he’s in the building okay? It’s gonna be okay. It’s Andy. I’m sure he’s just playing a game with someone or reading in the dark and trying to collect his thoughts.” Patrick breathed out, nodding and heading back down the hall, and Joe moved up the opposite way to start heading upstairs and working his way through the top floors. He was about to push open the exit, but...the roof access was propped open. Now they weren’t suppose to go on the roof, if an RA caught them that shit was serious apparently. Safety reasons and all, but it didn’t stop kids from going up there to smoke late at night or be alone with themselves. He looked at the exit to the top floor, and the exit to the roof and headed up the stairs. He made sure not to knock the water bottle out of the way and trap himself up there and moved carefully in case it was something he didn’t want to walk in on.

Andy was sitting right there, against one of the vents, eyes closed and his head tilted back breathing slowly. Joe was careful not to startle him, the roof gravel crunching under his feet. “Patrick’s worried about you.” He said softly, Andy tilted his head down, looking at Joe and smiling a little. 

“I didn’t think anyone would find me up here.” He shifted and Joe moved over to sit down next to him against the space now made to lean against the vent with him. “I didn’t mean to worry him I just needed to step away and breath….It’s hard to explain.” He shrugged and Joe nodded, he got it. Patrick had said they were fighting, and Andy probably just got more wound up than he was use to and needed to get away. 

“It’s okay….do you want me to leave you alone? I can tell Patrick you're up here and okay and everything.” Andy shook his head breathing out and closing his eyes again.

“No...no I shouldn’t be up here, I should go back and talk to him about it and everything…..will you text him for me really quick? Just so he’ll stop worrying….I left my phone in our room...and my shoes.” He laughed looking down at his feet and Joe rolled his eyes.

“You act like a Andy Hurley without shoes is a uncommon thing….” He shifted pulling his phone out of his back pocket shooting Patrick a text message and that Andy will come back to the room soon and he’s okay before shoving it in his pocket. “So….you wanna talk about it?” He offered, figuring maybe to just breathe out and vent may help him feel better enough to talk to Patrick. “You don’t have to it’s not my business of course.” 

Andy listed a little leaning against Joe’s side and head on his shoulder. The touching thing wasn’t...new? But it was kind of growing. On a different level than Pete coming into the dorm room and laying on top of Joe while he studied, it was Andy leaning against him or falling asleep on Joe’s thigh face in his stomach. It was so much worse by the fact that he was falling hard for this other person, this other very much not single, person. Yet he could never bring himself to say no when Andy would stay overnight in the dorm room, or when Andy would wrap his fingers around Joe’s belt loop at a party when things got a little much for him, or Joe’s wrist. He couldn’t do it, and it was making it very hard to move on from Andy. So very hard.

“Patrick thinks he knows what’s best for me and my love life, or lack of love life.” Joe’s eyes widened, lack of was the real thing he was focused on.

“Wait...I thought you and Mixon were together?” Andy laughed, loud and broke away looking at Joe and shaking his head. 

“Who told you that? Pete? It was Pete wasn’t it? Asshole.” He laughed rubbing his face. “No...no Matt and I have just been friends since grade school. He was my only friend for a good while before we made more in High School in band and stuff….He’s more like a brother…..I don’t think I could ever date him even though I like guys….Plus he’s dating that teachers aid from English 109” He dropped back to lean against the vent. 

Joe was so busy running over the fact Andy was single, he was single. Holy shit. To really even think about it because fuck. He wasn’t as horrible of a person as he thought, crushing on someone in a relationship and hoping they’d break up. 

“But yeah. Patrick and I….I don’t know. We were arguing about….something along those lines and it was….my love life is mine, and very personal to me. It always has been. I know he means well, as a friend but.” He breathed slowly closing his eyes and Joe patted his shoulder.

“I get you man…” Joe wrapped an arm around him after a moment, sitting up there before they decided to go back like he’d promised. Andy ended up coming to the dorm room later in the night and reading his book on the floor while Joe finished studying, Pete stepping over him and getting tripped the minute he was close enough Andy crawling over him and telling him if he told anyone else him and Matt were dating he was cutting his breaks. Joe was so wrapped up in the fact Andy was single. He was single, he didn’t even really think that Andy may not like him like that, or may see him the same way he saw Matt and Pete because holy shit he was single.


	6. Chapter 6

Joe’s pretty fucking dumb for being a B college student, almost A’s thanks to some hard earned hours in the study lab. Okay so maybe fucking dumb socially is maybe a better way of putting it because, well fuck. He’d been drinking again which is probably where it all went wrong, with Andy in tow of course not drinking, and some guys from his classes who were having a birthday party. He’d had a few to many, which in his defense he hadn’t done in a really long time but he was having a good time and figured he had an Andy to keep him company on the way back. Andy’s arm around him to keep him from listing into the bushes and he’s laughing so Joe laughs as well because well if Andy finds it funny he’s probably right. Pete’s not in the room when Andy drops him off, and the other adjusts his limbs and rolls him onto his side a familiar routine for them when it comes to Joe drinking and bless Andy for doing it every time. 

Joe blames the alcohol...and Andy. Because the fuckers standing there with brown hair, and his glasses are falling off his face and there's stupid fucking curls falling into his face as well and he’s grinning at Joe. “I like you.” Joe mumbles and Andy just laughs patting his thigh.

“I like you to Joe.” He tugs the blankets. “Now go to bed….” He adds, and Joe rolls a bit relaxing into his bed.

“No, meant love you, fucker.” He mumbled, and it’s not until morning that he realizes he said it. Eyes snapping open to look at the ceiling he’s fumbling out of bed. Andy’s not in his dorm room but it doesn’t mean anything….the time. Yeah he’s in class. Andy has Am classes on Monday’s until the PM and Joe’s memorized his schedule by now so he would know. It’s fine, it’s all fine because Andy’s in class and they’ll see one another after and he can make some lame excuse for himself. 

He doesn’t see Andy the whole rest of the day, not without trying, and he's got to be busy. He’s busy Joe tells himself. He tells himself the same when the following day, a day him and Andy always eat lunch together without fail. Andy doesn’t text him back he doesn’t say anything it’s radio silence. He skips his classes again and still doesn’t see Andy, he doesn’t see Mixon, he doesn’t see anyone at all knocking at their dorm room has fuck all not even Patrick. Wednesday is all the same.

Pete’s reading one of his textbooks that night whistling along to his music and Joe crawls out of his bed after laying there for most of the day and into Pete’s. Slipping under the book easily and the older shifts letting him do such and patting his back. It wasn’t...unfamiliar to them to do this but it was normally Pete coming to him. Pete just keeps reading knowing Joe will talk when he’s ready. He want’s to talk, he really does, but talking turns more into crying into the others shoulder. It’s stupid. So fucking stupid and Pete’s slamming his book shut and dropping it so fast his hands pulling Joe’s face up to look at him. Joe doesn’t remember ever crying in front of Pete before. 

“What’s wrong??” He gets out, firm and terrified. Because when it came to friends, Pete was always terrified.

“I told Andy I loved him while I was drunk and he hasn’t talked to me in three days and I’ve ruined our fucking friendship because I’m gross and can’t keep it in my pants?” He rambles rubbing his face and Pete sighs, and it sounds just as awful as Joe feels. His arms wrapping around Joe and he falls asleep in the others bed sometime in the night against him. When he wakes up, Pete’s looking at his phone at the end of the bed biting his thumb Joe’s feet in his lap like he’s afraid lack of contact might mean something. 

“Sorry...about last night.” Pete shrugs, his foot bouncing and he lets go of his thumb to pat Joe’s thigh. 

“It’s okay...I just wish I had some more helpful advice….Wish I had any advice.” Joe sat up nudging his friend in the shoulder.

“I’m just...thanks for letting me get that out...It’ll be okay. I mean. I got over Sophie didn’t I?” He left out getting over Sophie was because Andy was there for him every step of the way, Andy spent so many nights with him, spent him from drunk calling her, and when she did end up asking Joe back out he looked at Andy and felt confident enough to say no. Pete gives him a half smile and Joe climbs up to get ready for class. He listens to the lecture and checks his phone every few minutes and trucks back to class. He guesses this will be his new routine, going to lecture, and back to the dorms. He doesn’t even wanna crash the music hall and play guitar until late hours of the night. He should've never let himself fall so deep for some dude in college. 

It hits him half way up the last flight to their floor when it fucking hits him, it fucking hits like a sack of bricks and he’s sprinting up the last few flights his bag heavy on his shoulder, the door is propped open and Andy’s sitting on the edge of the roof. Leg pulled against his chest as he looks out on their campus. He didn’t fucking think of it and he’s not sure why, this is where Andy goes to think, and be away. 

“I’m so fucking sorry.” Joe chokes out because he needs to talk this out right now and Andy whips around and fumbles and Joe has a heart attack thinking he’s about to fall like 8 stories. 

“I...why?” Andy gets out, looking at him wide eyed behind his glasses and Joe’s moving across the gravel to close the gap between them. 

“Because of what I said the other night...in my room?” Andy’s not avoiding him for other reasons is he? Fuck did Joe say more once he’d passed out? Oh fuck he was never drinking again he was such a fuck up. Holy shit.

“...I should be sorry not you.” Andy said softly sighing a little and looking down. Joe was so fucking confused right now, so fucking confused. 

“Wait fuck...I think something got crossed that should not of. And I was also shitfaced.” He waved his hands trying to backtrack it all. “I told you I loved you how...How does that mean you should be sorry?” Andy’s head snaps up and he looks fucking confused as Joe right now, but also so surprised.

“I...but you...You seemed mad at me? Like you knew I liked you and were mad?” He fumbled out and Joe needs a second because Andy liked him. Holy fucking all sweet things in the world this perfect everything liked him back. He almost makes an embarrassing noise if it wasn’t for the fact Andy seems upset. 

“Oh...shit fuck Andy no.” He rubs his face. “I...it was me. I was mad at me. Because i meant i loved you and said I liked you and….I didn’t mean to tell you like that. I shouldn’t of been drunk...and I shouldn’t of told you it wasn’t fair….” Andy looks at him, and stares for a while before standing up. Andy has a weird way of seeing through Joe it felt like, seeing through people in general like he could tell when you lied to him or not. 

“But...do you? I mean do you love me? Like really though...not as a friend...or a sibling like I love Matt and Pete….and be honest here Joe.” He’s looking at him and Joe can’t lie, can’t get out of this one, and he doesn’t want to because Andy’s words before, he liked him back? He did right?

“I do...I...I didn’t one day I woke up and you were there and I thought this is everything. You're so goddamn perfect in so many ways and I...I thought you were dating Mixon so I buried it all down but then I found out you weren’t…” Joe can’t help but think, hey Mom I made it to college and now i’m confessing my feelings for another guy on the roof of our dorm. Sure made it far. He breathed and Andy was looking at him studying the way he did before he smiled. That stupid warm smile he sometimes gave Joe but something more behind it, something deeper and fuck. Fuck he’s beautiful. 

Joe was kissing him before he could stop smiling, pressing him against the edge of the roof and gripping his hair tight and pulling him into a kiss. The glasses are in the way and he’s pretty sure the edge of the roof is pressing into Andy’s back or ass but fuck all does he care and it seems neither does Andy because he’s pulling Joe down closer to his level and deepening the kiss. Finally breaking apart and pressing his forehead against the smallers, Andy laughs and Joe can’t help but do the same.

“So...I mean were dating now right?” Joe asks after they’ve caught their breaths and are done laughing, still pressed against one another and Andy nods against him. He needed to know really, because assuming is never good in these situations. 

“Yeah...Yeah. I don’t just kiss and run.” He hummed, and Joe leaned down kissing him again, softer and far more gentle than he had before. Andy tugs on his backpack and leans up to kiss him one last time before breaking away. “We should stop kissing up here before an RA catches up. I already got caught once.” His hands slide down and Joe twists their fingers together following him down making sure to kick the bottle out of the way so the door would actually shut. He maybe kicks Pete out for the night to Patrick’s room, but Pete doesn’t seem to mind just giving him thumbs up and fleeing.


End file.
